While the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed this weekend for its twice-yearly inspection, the machine digging its replacement will be taking a break for inspection too. WSDOT announced this afternoon that the Highway 99 tunneling machine has made its third maintenance stop of the year and will likely be stopped for about a month.

It’s currently stopped about 190 feet under First Avenue, north of Pike Street, and has now gone 4,721 feet, more than half the 9,270-foot tunnel route. You can read WSDOT’s update in full here; in short, crews will be inspecting and changing some of the machine’s 700+ cutting tools. This year’s two previous maintenance stops were March 12-April 29, just before the machine went under the Viaduct, and June 23-July 18. The newest schedule revision says the tunnel will open in early 2019.

P.S. Above ground, the Viaduct inspection closure is scheduled for 6 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday. These often end early, and we’ll let you know if/when this one does.

(August 31st photo by Vlad Oustimovitch)

WSDOT announced this afternoon that the Highway 99 tunneling machine is back on the move after a two-week stop to change cutterhead tools. Above is a photo of a used “tooth,” taken by Vlad Oustimovitch, a West Seattle resident who is a longtime member of the citizens’ advisory group and shared photos with WSB after a tour of the machine toward the start of the stopdown. Today’s WSDOT update says that as of lunchtime, “crews were tunneling north approximately 170 feet below First Avenue, just north of Union Street” and that the contractor “replaced a total of 14 large cutting tools during the two-week maintenance period. Bertha has moved from clay to a mixture of sand and gravel that wears down cutting tools more quickly. … The tools STP changed during this maintenance stop are the first parts of the cutterhead that contact the ground, making them crucial to the machine’s ability to excavate soil. STP will continue to inspect and replace these tools as needed during the course of mining. … The machine has tunneled more than 4,135 feet and is nearing the halfway point of its 9,270-foot-long journey.”

(UPDATED 9:36 PM WITH PHOTOS FROM TOUR TODAY)

(WSDOT image)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:26 PM: Since its last maintenance stop ended in mid-July, the Highway 99 tunneling machine has dug 1,000 feet. Another 500, and it will be at the official halfway mark. But right now, WSDOT says, the machine is stopped down “to inspect and replace some of the larger cutterhead tools on the front end … STP chose to check the tools – and change them as needed – because Bertha has moved from clay into a mixture of sand and gravel that will more quickly wear them down. Replacing the tools now will preserve the machine and ensure it continues to function well as it mines toward STP’s next planned maintenance stop.” You can read the full update here, and you can go here to see where the machine is now – that’s also the page that tracks its progress, currently listed as 4,135 feet along the planned 9,270-foot tunneling route.

ADDED 9:36 PM: A West Seattleite who has long represented our area on Viaduct/Tunnel advisory groups, Vlad Oustimovitch, is sharing photos tonight from a tunnel-project tour earlier today. First photo shows a used drilling tooth that was replaced today, as part of the work mentioned above:

Next, you’re looking at “giant rollers” that hold up the tunnel-building part of the machine:

Here are the pistons that push the machine forward once rings are in place:

Another view from inside the tunneling machine:

Here’s the control room:

And “the tail end” of the machine:

Back outside the machine, in the already-built 4,135 feet of tunnel, here’s a look at the upper deck:

Oustimovitch was one of “about eight” people on today’s tour.

(WSDOT video from last week, showing road-building in the tunnel section dug so far)

Just announced by WSDOT – the Highway 99 tunneling machine is back in action after “a month of routine and hyperbaric maintenance” that started June 23rd and ended yesterday. WSDOT says, “The maintenance period included more than 40 shifts of work under hyperbaric conditions, changing cutting tools and performing other maintenance in the space behind the cutterhead.” The tunneling machine is one-third of the way – 3,108 feet – along the route, now “located approximately 120 feet beneath Spring Street, tunneling north toward First Avenue.” Two more stops like this are expected, WSDOT says.

(WSDOT graphic)

It’s a question still asked fairly often – when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is gone and the tunnel is open, how will you get to downtown from northbound Highway 99? WSDOT has just announced it’s chosen the builder for the ramp that answers the question:

Construction will soon begin on a new flyover off-ramp designed to connect the northbound lanes of State Route 99 to Seattle’s stadiums, Pioneer Square, and downtown Seattle.

The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded the $3.5 million contract to Interwest Construction, Inc. of Sequim to build the ramp to South Dearborn Street that will allow northbound traffic to exit in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood when the new SR 99 tunnel opens.

“The flyover ramp is an important piece of the larger Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program,” said David Sowers, deputy program administrator for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. “And drivers should not worry about construction delays, as the ramp will be built in the existing SR 99 work zone near the stadiums.”

WSDOT and Interwest expect to sign a contract giving notice to proceed later this month. Construction activities are expected to start in July and last approximately six months. The new off-ramp will open to motorists at the same time as the new SR 99 tunnel, currently scheduled for 2018.

The latest tunneling-progress report, by the way, is here; as of last Thursday, 2,886 feet tunneled, about 200 feet shy of a third of the 9,270-foot distance.

In the middle of the second week post-Viaduct closure, an update on the Highway 99 tunneling machine: After a “break for rest and routine maintenance,” WSDOT says this afternoon, “Seattle Tunnel Partners resumed mining late Tuesday evening.” The machine has now gone more than 2,000 feet in all, which is more than 20 percent of the way along the full tunnel route, shown in the WSDOT-created graphic above. It also shows the machine in Zone 2, which will take it under the Columbia onramp; as explained during the closure, when we asked WSDOT on behalf of a reader, the machine is much further beneath that structure, so a precautionary closure was NOT considered necessary. WSDOT says that from there, the machine will travel under Western Avenue, and they promise twice-weekly updates here.

As of a few minutes ago, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct [“live” camera above] has reopened, following the southbound side [“live” camera below] by about half an hour.

And that concludes the almost-ten-day closure, five hours after today’s surprise announcement of an early ending to what was expected to be a shutdown lasting about two weeks. Full backstory in our afternoon report published right after the news broke.

8:18 PM: Carol points out in a comment that the ramp from the EB bridge is still blocked off – the camera verifies – so crews haven’t gotten there yet.

8:51 PM: WSDOT says the ramp is open now. (Here’s the camera view.)

9:18 PM: Thanks again to everybody who helped out by sharing commute reports this past week and a half – and remember that we have long been reporting on the morning commute every weekday, so we’ll be back at it tomorrow (just not quite as early!). And remember, another major project is ahead – overnight closures of the west end of the bridge, starting in a week, for the Fauntleroy Expressway seismic-cushion re-replacements.

9:58 PM: Just in case you missed this earlier: Metro’s plan:

All Metro routes that normally serve the Alaskan Way Viaduct will return to their regular routes and stops at the start of service Monday morning, May 9. … With the start of service on Monday, the bus stop on westbound Columbia Street at Second Avenue will reopen to regular transit service, and Viaduct buses will no longer serve the temporary stops they made in the SODO area on or near S Lander Street during last week’s closure.

All riders should note that Viaduct service will remain on the current reroutes throughout Sunday night and until about 4:30 AM on Monday.

And the Water Taxi will continue its extra West Seattle parking and extra Vashon runs for one last day, tomorrow morning. Then everything is back to normal Tuesday.

(7:01 PM UPDATE: The Viaduct is now open southbound)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:14 PM: Just in from WSDOT – The Alaskan Way Viaduct will be reopened in time for the Monday morning commute. The first news release:

After 10 days of around-the-clock tunneling, Bertha’s biggest hurdle is now behind her. That hurdle – the Alaskan Way Viaduct she was built to replace – will reopen for the Monday morning commute, bringing an early end to the much-anticipated #99closure.

Structural engineers with the Washington State Department of Transportation completed a thorough inspection of the viaduct on Sunday. Their inspection confirmed what a team of engineers observed throughout the past 10 days of tunneling: continued stability of the ground and the viaduct.

Contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners estimated that tunneling beneath the viaduct would take approximately two weeks. With the ground holding steady, and the most challenging part of the machine’s drive beneath the viaduct complete, WSDOT made the call to reopen both directions of State Route 99 through downtown.

“Closing a major highway is never easy, and the public deserves a big thank you for their patience and flexibility while this crucial work took place,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “I would like to thank the WSDOT and STP project teams and construction crews on a job well done. To finish this piece of the project almost a week early is commendable. The planning and flexibility of commuters, along with strong coordination between WSDOT and partner agencies, ensured commuters had access to real-time information that helped them plan ahead.”

WSDOT temporarily closed SR 99 through Seattle so crews could more closely monitor the structure as the machine passed beneath. The tunnel team originally planned to keep the highway closed until after the machine had completely cleared the viaduct, but the success of the tunneling operation and the continued stability of the ground led to discussions of an early opening as work progressed.

By Friday, the machine had successfully tunneled through complex soils only 15 feet below the viaduct’s foundation – the closest the machine will come to any structure at any point in its drive beneath Seattle. On Sunday, STP completed installation of the rings beneath this critical location, clearing the way for the final inspection and the early opening of the highway. WSDOT’s 24-hour command center will remain open until the machine has successfully tunneled 385 feet, the distance at which it will be completely clear of the viaduct.

WSDOT worked closely with Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, King County Metro, King County Water Taxi, Sound Transit, Community Transit and the Port of Seattle to keep traffic moving and provide travel options for drivers during the closure.

“Removing traffic from the viaduct was critical to the success of this work, but we don’t want the closure to last a moment longer than it needs to,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Roger Millar. “I want to thank the WSDOT and STP project teams as well as our local partners for successfully managing the closure of a major highway in our system. And, a special thank you to the community for their patience. I hope commuters saw the value of having several transportation choices, and consider using alternatives to driving alone more regularly going forward.”

Millar said the success of STP’s drive beneath the viaduct will help build momentum for the remainder of the tunnel drive.

“The end of this closure marks a new beginning for the SR 99 Tunnel Project,” he said. “Much work remains, but we are encouraged by the contractor’s performance during this phase of the project. Our shared focus now, as it has been, is on delivering this tunnel to Washington taxpayers.”

ADDED 2:32 PM: The 99closure.org website has some additional practical details about how the closure will end – read the post in full here – some key points:

Water Taxi resumes regular service Tuesday morning, May 10
The King County Water Taxi will continue additional parking options at West Seattle (PDF) and additional sailings on the Vashon route (PDF) through the end of the day on Monday, May 9.
Regular West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi service will start Tuesday morning, May 10.

Metro Transit returns to regular routing Monday, May 9
King County Metro Transit service will resume regular routing via the Alaskan Way Viaduct with the start of service Monday morning. At that time, the bus stop on Columbia Street at Second Avenue will also reopen.
Current surface street reroutes through SODO and temporary stops remain in effect for the remainder of Sunday, May 8.

Restrictions on city streets lifted for Monday morning commute
With the exception of parking restrictions along Harbor Avenue in West Seattle, temporary city street restrictions put in place for the closure will be lifted before Monday morning.

WSDOT is having a media conference call at 3 pm and we’ll be on it; updates to come.

3:15 PM: Just off that conference call. The big news – the Viaduct actually will reopen TONIGHT, per WSDOT’s Todd Trepanier. The barrier removal will start as soon as 4 pm – they’re calling in crews to get that done.

He said what makes the early reopening possible is the ground stabilization techniques that contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners has been using.

He also said that when the machine gets to the 380-or-so-foot spot, they’ll pause before going on to the next phase – they’ll continue working 24 hours a day until then.

7:01 PM: As reader Kyla reported in comments, the southbound Viaduct is now open. This camera is proof.

(UPDATED 4:54 PM – second eastbound West Seattle Bridge crash of the afternoon has cleared)

FIRST REPORT, 2:07 PM: Two notes on this ninth day of the Viaduct closure – first, a traffic alert:

If you’re heading out any time soon (2:07 pm as we publish this), take some extra time. And remember the warnings about all the SCHEDULED events happening as the weekend continues, including Sounders FC vs. San Jose at CenturyLink tonight (7 pm).

2:39 PM UPDATE: SDOT says the bridge crash has cleared.

BACK TO ORIGINAL REPORT: Meantime, a tunneling update:

Highway 99 tunneling crews continue to work 24/7, and WSDOT is publishing updates 7 days a week, too. This morning’s update via 99closure.org: 246 feet tunneled, of the ~385 feet that will get the machine clear of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s underside; if you look at the map/graphic here, it’s already starting to get past the area in which the entire machine was beneath the Viaduct. Though it’s been monitoring and inspecting the structure throughout the process, WSDOT says it will do one more major inspection – similar to the ones for which it closes the Viaduct for a day or so each spring and fall – once it gets word the machine is completely clear of the ~385-foot stretch.

3:04 PM: WSDOT has just posted today’s second tunneling update – 266.5 feet now dug, of the beneath-Viaduct ~385 feet. That’s more than two-thirds of the way.

3:15 PM: Another crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge, this time in the left lanes just before the 4th Avenue exit. Thanks to the texter who sent us first word. We confirmed it via the live camera from the SDOT Travelers Map.

3:19 PM: SDOT has it now:

3:30 PM: Here’s some video recorded off the SDOT Travelers Map’s live camera (not embeddable so far as we know, so we had to resort to recording off our laptop screen):

4:54 PM: SDOT confirms that crash has cleared.

From today’s media conference call about tunneling and traffic as the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure continues:

TUNNELING PROGRESS: 214 of 385 under-the-Viaduct feet as of late morning. Any prediction of how much longer it will take? “Still too early to start projecting when we’re going to open up The Viaduct,” WSDOT’s Dave Sowers said. They have to get past the closest call under The Viaduct – 15′ beneath “96 East” under Yesler – “before we can even start thinking about that,” Sowers reiterated. Later, asked about the tolerance levels of Viaduct settlement or movement as the tunneling machine continues moving beneath it, he said that’s been “negligible.”

The biggest point of the call was regarding traffic “surprises” this weekend and next week related to special events and seasonal activities:

BUSY WEEKEND AHEAD: Jon Layzer of SDOT wanted to make sure the events coming up this weekend are on everyone’s radar (we mentioned them in this morning’s traffic/transit coverage). “Plan ahead, take alternatives where you can, use (the online info) to plan your trips.” Travis Phelps of WSDOT mentioned lane reductions north of Marysville, and the Mariners‘ homestand that starts next Monday. WSDOT’s Laura Newborn noted a “free parking” promotion on the downtown waterfront this weekend – find out more on the Downtown Seattle Association website.

ALSO NEW THIS WEEKEND – ‘HOMEPORT’ CRUISE SHIPS: We asked if there’s anything going under-reported. One response was from Peter McGraw of the Port of Seattle, pointing out that the first “homeported” cruise ships are here this weekend, which means a lot of additional traffic as thousands of passengers end and start their journeys here, and as trucks arrive and depart to provision the ships. Both Pier 66 downtown and Smith Cove in Magnolia will have ships – here’s the schedule; Pier 66 has a ship on Saturday, Smith Cove has one ship a day on Saturday and Sunday. (The schedule gets even busier in a few weeks.) McGraw says they’re coordinating with the trucking community “to get in early” and also urging departing passengers to add lots of extra time to arrive at the terminal.

We’ll be covering the Friday pm commute starting around 4 pm, with incident-specific coverage if anything of note happens before then.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:58 AM: As of less than an hour ago, the Highway 99 tunneling machine is close to the halfway point of the 385-foot stretch from one side of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s underside to the other. The latest tunneling tally is 182 feet, as shown on the updated WSDOT graphic above. Meantime, we’re just off today’s conference call for media. Participants today: Dave Sowers, WSDOT’s tunnel-project administrator; Jon Layzer from SDOT; and Travis Phelps from WSDOT (regarding regional traffic).

We asked Layzer about the two traffic situations that dominated discussion in our channels this morning.

Regarding the truck backup on East Marginal, Layzer said, “The port had been opening the gate at Terminal 46 at 3 am, an early opening instead of 7 am – but (for) today, they had evaluated projected volumes of containers … and decided not to open early – that obviously had a significant impact. We are in communication with the port, asking them to strongly consider opening at 3 am for the duration of the Viaduct closure.” (We are now checking with the Port to see how they’re handling this request.)

ADDED 4 PM, PORT’S RESPONSE: The reply to our inquiry, from port spokesperson Peter McGraw:

A number of factors with traffic this morning. I understand there was a train loading that blocked traffic longer than usual, along with heavier traffic.

We will continue to work with the terminal operator on traffic issues.

There will also be truck holding areas adjacent to T-46, along with additional gates for trucks to access the terminal.

The terminal opens at 3 am on its busiest days of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The operator already added one day this week and will do so again next week—at their own expense.

It also operates a regular day shift on Saturdays. So there are four additional shifts to take trucks off the road during commute hours.

Unfortunately, truckers are not using the early shifts to the full extent possible, and it’s not always possible to open the terminal at 3 am five days per week.

We will send out a request to the trucking community to use the 3 am gates for the duration of the closure.

(BACK TO ORIGINAL 11:58 AM REPORT) Regarding the clog at Avalon, Layzer said, “We did send Metro and SDOT folks out to observe performance yesterday and this morning … we do have parking-enforcement officers lined up to do a sweep of that corridor. We evaluated a request to extend the bus lane further south, but didn’t feel that was needed. We’ll continue to monitor that. (Also), we spoke to someone yesterday about the left turns (onto Avalon from the exit off the bottom of the Admiral Way hill) and don’t have a status on that.” But he did say they’re also evaluating the pavement markings. (He also expressed appreciation for the community collaboration here on WSB sussing out some of the West Seattle-side trouble spots – so thanks again to everyone who’s been reporting in.)

Layzer also was asked about train traffic in SODO leading to delays of motor-vehicle traffic, and replied that SDOT has “reached out to Burlington Northern and asked for their assistance to avoid peak periods for their train-building activities in particular” but they “don’t have any confirmation that (the train line) will adjust.” He said SPD officers also have been dispatched to 1st Avenue S. in SODO to monitor the situation.

Back to tunneling progress, it was repeated twice that it’s still “too early for us to start speculating when they’re going to open,” said Sowers. Also, they are close to going under the spot where the machine will be within 15′ of the underside of a Viaduct column.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:20 PM: Almost didn’t make it to today’s multi-department briefing on Viaduct-closure traffic … because of the traffic. The bridge was still backed up to the crest at 10:30 am, and 1st Avenue S. was bumper-to-bumper. First highlight, the daily late-morning tunneling update:

149 feet of the 385 to get the machine clear of the underside of the Viaduct. But, Dave Sowers of WSDOT told us and the other media at this morning’s briefing (held as usual on the downtown Water Taxi dock, because of the Viaduct backdrop), they don’t want to predict when they’ll be done with the under-the-Viaduct phase – let alone speculate on whether there’s any chance of finishing that sooner than the “about two weeks” timeframe. The ground remains stable around and over the machine, Sowers said, and everything “looks great.”

(From left, SDOT’s Jon Layzer, Metro’s Victor Obeso, WSDOT’s Dave Sowers)

No Seattle Tunnel Partners rep at this briefing (unlike the one via phone yesterday, which was focused on tunneling), since this was supposed to be about traffic and transit. We asked Victor Obeso from Metro if the afternoon problems headed this way were going to lead to any changes in the southbound routes that have been getting stuck behind trains at Lander. Short answer: No. Longer answer: They’re continuing to monitor and evaluate.

More to come in a bit. We also recorded it all on video so you can watch for yourself once we have it uploaded. (UPDATE: Here’s the video:)

ADDED 1:36 PM: Other toplines – unlike the Water Taxi, where passengers can be very precisely counted, other modes of travel can only estimate trends since the closure began. Bus usage in general is estimated to be up a single-digit percentage overall, Metro says, but they ran more than 70 extra trips the first three days. Sound Transit, 10 percent for light rail, 15 percent for Sounder trains. Something else that’s up: Jon Layzer of SDOT noted a big increase in “blocking incidents,” although deployment of Incident Response Teams and other people to help clear them has been helpful.

Anything they’ve learned so far that will be kept post-closure? he was asked. While he didn’t commit to anything, he did promise they would have an “after-action report” to look at such things.

(Added: Newly released WSDOT video recorded by a drone inside the tunnel and tunneling machine)

12:06 PM: “Tunneling is going very well.” So said Chris Dixon of Seattle Tunnel Partners, the state’s contractor on the Highway 99 tunnel, during a media conference call wrapped up a short time ago. He said there’s been no problems – “no adverse effects, no settlement, no movement” either with the machine or with the ground through which it’s tunneling and the first Viaduct “bent” under which it’s gone. As for the distance they’ve gone – 117 feet so far, of the 380 that will get them to the other side of the Viaduct’s underside – he said it’s about what they’ve expected. We’ll have full details in a bit.

12:30 PM: More details from the call: They’ve now mined 17 “rings” since leaving “Safe Haven 3,” the stop before going under the Viaduct. The “bent” under which the machine has gone is numbered 98W – “W” for west, and it’s now under 97W, with 96E next, “the column in the intersection of Yesler and Alaskan Way … after we pass that, (they go under) 95E, the foundation on the east side.” The next one is the one to which the machine gets within 15 feet, as much mentioned prior to this phase of tunneling. They’re expecting to average about 4 rings a day but Dixon warned not to be alarmed if a day shows less progress than that, because they are stopping the machine here and there along the way for maintenance and for replenishment of the soil conditioners they’re using while moving ahead – the first day of this phase was 1 ring, then three on the 30th, seven on the 1st, and six yesterday.

Its average speed, Dixon said, is 30 millimeters per second, with the capacity to go twice that fast, and indeed they expect to go faster once the machine is past this phase – averaging six rings a day in the next phase. In response to another question, he stressed again, “we’re right where we anticipated we would be.” And he said they’re far enough out of “Safe Haven 3” that there’s no longer any concern of a sinkhole or other disturbance atop that area.

No traffic updates, since this focus was on the tunneling itself, but WSDOT did say, don’t get complacent and go back to your old ways – “please find different ways to be out there ‘off peak’.”

P.S. We’ll again have special afternoon/evening commute coverage here on WSB, starting around 4 pm. In the meantime, the commute conversation continues in comments following our Tuesday morning coverage.

11:49 AM: We’re just off what will likely be a daily media conference call with WSDOT and others as the Highway 99 tunneling closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct continues. Topline: The tunneling machine has now made it through 78+ feet of the 380+ feet that it will take to get to the other side of the underside of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and that’s getting close to twenty percent of the way, points out WSDOT’s deputy program administrator, Dave Sowers. Its cutterhead is indeed beneath The Viaduct, between columns 98 and 97, to be specific.

12:06 PM: WSDOT asked reporters to hold off on most technical tunneling questions until tomorrow’s conference call, when they expect to have contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners represented on the call. So that left traffic. They’ve made “a lot of little adjustments,” said a WSDOT traffic engineer, not only the ones mentioned in yesterday’s online progress report – more parking restrictions on 4th to keep more of the roadway open for traffic flow, and protected left-turn signals on 1st at Horton and Hanford – but also changes in signal timing today on 1st and 4th.

Aside from the Water Taxi numbers we’ve been reporting firsthand from Seacrest today, they don’t have any other data yet on how many more people are using transit, but, said Jon Layzer of SDOT, they are “trying to get information.” Overall, the assessment: “So far, progress is encouraging at the moment,” but they say it’s too soon to try to estimate or speculate whether the under-the-Viaduct tunneling will be done early, on time, or otherwise.

8:45 PM: The evening tunneling update is up – 91 feet now, and 14 rings. Next update, around 4 am, and WSDOT plans to continue updating one to three times a day here. We have updated the graphic atop this story to the WSDOT map that shows the new numbers.

Just in from WSDOT, the update for Alaskan Way Viaduct Closure, Day 3, with tunneling-machine progress and traffic-flow changes:

(Updated map from tunneling-progress page on 99closure.org)

Tunneling progress

Welcome to day three of the #99closure. After a slow and deliberate departure from the planned maintenance stop near Yesler Way, Seattle Tunnel Partners’ tunneling crews picked up speed in accordance with their plan for tunneling under the viaduct. As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, had mined 39 feet of the approximately 385 feet of tunnel that must be completed before the viaduct reopens to traffic. STP determines the appropriate rate to mine safely and mining rates will vary as the machine passes underneath the viaduct.

Visit our tracking page to see a map showing Bertha’s progress.

Traffic overview

Expect a more challenging commute Monday since Mondays are a traditionally heavier traffic day than Fridays. Go to our maps and resources page or see our travel alternatives handout to explore options other than driving. WSDOT continues to run a 24-hour-per-day command center with constant, real-time communication taking place with other agencies. And WSDOT’s Transportation Management Center also has extended hours with up to 12 additional Incident Response Teams ready to clear state roads of incidents as quickly as possible.

The Seattle Traffic Operations Center examined Friday’s commute and is adjusting by extending parking restrictions on Fourth Avenue South from peak periods only to all-day restrictions to help transit and traffic flow. In addition, the Seattle Department of Transportation added protected left turn signals at First Avenue South and South Hanford Street as well as First Avenue South and South Holgate Street to improve traffic flow.

SDOT will continue to work with the Seattle Police Department to monitor and adjust signals as necessary to maximize flow.

4th was a major trouble spot on Friday, according to commute reports from commenters during our morning and afternoon/evening coverage. We’ll be starting traffic/transit coverage early again tomorrow, 5 am.

(WSDOT photo – crews monitoring The Viaduct during the closure)

On the second full day of the two-weeks-or-so Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, a “precaution” until the Highway 99 tunneling machine finishes going beneath the AWV, here’s the brief update WSDOT just published:

After completing the first ring, STP crews have been preparing the machine to move out of the concrete of the maintenance stop. The transition from concrete into soil is an important part of tunneling under the viaduct and STP crews have been working to ensure that the transition goes smoothly. Once the machine is fully prepared to mine through this transition, crews will advance slowly and deliberately.

So as of this update, no additional distance has been added to the first-day 6.5-foot tally. Next update is expected about this time tomorrow; still almost 380 feet left to go to get all the way beneath The Viaduct.

Previous WSB coverage:
First-night tunneling-progress report
First pm commute
First am commute

Looking for traffic cams/infolinks? Go here

That map is from the first official progress report on the Highway 99 tunneling machine since the Alaskan Way Viaduct closure began. Here’s the WSDOT announcement we just received:

As of 6 p.m. Friday, Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine, had dug 6.5 feet of the approximately 385 feet of tunnel that must be completed before the Alaskan Way Viaduct reopens to traffic. This pace is what we expected. The machine will proceed slowly and deliberately throughout the first few days. Visit our tracking page to see a map showing Bertha’s progress.

Bertha must dig through a few more feet of concrete to exit the maintenance stop before she starts to dig through the soil near the intersection of Yesler and Alaskan Way. Look for another progress update Saturday afternoon.

WSDOT has said that the machine will be digging around the clock while it goes beneath The Viaduct. Tonight’s full update, including the afternoon traffic overview, is here. Here are our coverage links from Day 1:

*Morning traffic/transit coverage
*Afternoon/evening traffic/transit coverage